After hearing a report from Commissioners Frank Moe and Garry Gamble on the process undertaken by a Cook County all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ordinance committee, the county board set July 28 at 10 a.m. to hold a public meeting on proposed changes to the ordinance.
Commissioners Moe and Gamble facilitated a committee consisting of Sheriff Pat Eliasen, 1854 Treaty Authority Conservation Officer Clay Rumph and citizens John Bottger and Rhonda Silence, with input from County Attorney Molly Hicken, County Engineer David Betts, and Land Commissioner Betty Schultz. The committee was formed to look at a request from some Mid-Gunflint Trail businesses and the Cook County ATV Club to allow Class 1 ATV equipment on two additional sections of the Gunflint Trail.
The committee recommended opening the additional sections of the Gunflint Trail to ATV traffic on the shoulder and far right side of the road, but added a number of stipulations.
Some stipulations include putting at least four additional “Expect ATV Traffic” signs on the Gunflint Trail at the beginning of each section and posting two more signs at the junction of the Gunflint Trail and South Brule Road to inform ATVers that vehicles have a partially obstructed view. The committee also said the county must work with Visit Cook County to inform visitors of the presence of ATVs on Cook County roads; must continue to review ordinances from neighboring counties to work toward consistency of ordinances between counties; and determine and evaluate start up costs (signage, etc.) to the county of the proposed change. The committee agreed that the next Cook County road map published should also include notice and markings of the sections that now allow ATVs and the Sheriff ’s Office agreed to assist with safety training efforts and include those efforts in that department’ annual report to the county board.
Should the ordinance pass, it will be reviewed annually. Some aspects to be examined are whether the change had a positive or negative economic impact on local business; cases of road congestion caused by ATV riders will be tracked and recorded by the Sheriff ’s Office and any increased costs to the Sheriff ’s Office due to the ordinance will be marked and reported. Also looked at (if the data allows) will be any positive or negative effects on recreation user groups and any documented environmental impacts caused by ATV riders.
Currently Class 2 ATVs, also called “side-by-side” ATVs can be driven on the entire Gunflint Trail. Class 1 ATVs (machines 50 inches in width or less) can be driven on the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais to County Road 60 near Hedstrom Lumber Company. The ATV Club has requested that riders be allowed to drive from the Pine Mountain Road to the South Brule Road (about two miles) and from Lima Grade Road to the Old Gunflint Trail (about two miles) so riders can connect with numerous forest roads that allow ATV traffic and to connect with services at Mid- Gunflint Trail businesses.
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